Recessed electrical boxes for retrofitting on finished walls or for use in new construction were disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,965,078, 6,956,171, 7,005,578, 7,045,713, 7,064,271, 7,115,820, and 7,151,820 and in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/356,590, all of which are commonly owned by the assignee of the present invention and the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The recessed electrical boxes disclosed in the aforementioned patents and applications comprised an electrical box having an inner enclosure for housing an electrical device and an outer enclosure for recessing the inner enclosure well within a wall. The recessed electrical box including the inner enclosure and outer enclosure were either integrally formed in one piece or provided in two pieces each formed of the same material of construction.
Although a recessed electrical box of the type described in the aforementioned disclosures provided an adequate means for recessing an electrical device substantially within the wall of a structure, they were directed primarily to recessing electrical devices on the exterior surface of a structure. Although the aforementioned patents and patent applications provide an apparatus for recessing an electrical box on the exterior of a structure, there is also a need for recessing an electrical outlet on an interior wall of a structure.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a two-piece recessed electrical outlet assembly that includes a first portion that comprises an electrical box for mounting in an interior wall and housing and protecting an electrical outlet and its associated wiring. A second portion of the recessed assembly includes a frame member for covering the electrical box and a portion of the interior wall surrounding the box to obscure that portion of the wall surrounding the electrical box.